AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 39 



Aerides. 

 their supports, are in some species of verj' remarkable 

 appearance. In one Indian plant the_\- are long and flat, 

 and resemble a tapeworm in appearance ; hence the species 

 has been named A. tivnialc. The flowers, which are of a 

 tirm, wax_\- texture, and often ver)- fragrant, grow in long, 

 c\-lindrical clusters or racemes, which spring from the axils 

 ot the upper leaves ; they are of various shades of white, 

 lilac, and rose. The lip is curiously curved or opened, 

 and affords a character b}- which the species may be 

 divided into two sections. " In the first, represented in 

 A. odoratiiin, the lip is cut into three, or even fi\-e lobes, 

 of nearly equal length ; in the other, represented in 

 A. maciilosuiu, the lip is undivided, or has only a couple 

 of basal ears." 



Aerides are not so extensively cultivated as they were 

 a few }'ears back. There is a tendency amongst Orchidists 

 of the present day to confine themselves to a few species. 

 This is to be regretted, for while there may be a particular 

 desire to cultivate certain species and varieties, this should 

 not be carried to such an extent as to exclude man}- noble 

 species to be found among the Eastern section. It cannot 

 be contended for a moment that the}' possess less charm 

 in their flowers, or that they lack grace, for there are no 

 Orchids that add more to the appearance of the house than 

 are to be found in the combined genera of Vaiida and 

 A crides. 



Culture. — Where these plants can be afforded a division 

 to themsel\-es, little difficulty will be found in dealing 

 with them satisfactorily. They may be placed in either 

 pots, pans, or teak-wood baskets, with a few broken 

 crocks at the bottom. The plants having previously 

 been turned out of the pots should be cleared of 

 all dead and decaying material about the roots. 

 Any plant that has lost its lower leaves, giving it 

 a leggy appearance, should have as much of the stem 

 as the roots will permit cut away, so as to bring the 

 leaves to within a reasonable distance of the top of the 

 receptacle. When this has been done, place the stem 

 in the centre, and work as many roots as possible inside 

 the pot, fill in the remaining space with more broken 

 crocks, and finish the surface with a layer of chopped 

 sphagnum, pressing it moderately firm. Water thoroughly 



